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Table 3 Studies on improving the effect of antitumor immunotherapy by probiotics

From: The impact of the gut microbiome on tumor immunotherapy: from mechanism to application strategies

Tumor type

Immunotherapy treatment

Species/strain

Overview of mechanism

References

CRC (AOM-DSS/MC38); bladder cancer (MB49); melanoma (B16-F10)

αCTLA-4 mAb

Bifidobacterium pseudomonas

Inosine produced by the gut microbiota can translocate to the tumor microenvironment and activated T cells by adenosine A2A receptor combined with costimulation of CpG and IL-12 released by DCs for Th1 differentiation, which results in IFN-γ production and enhanced ICB therapy

[134]

Sarcoma (MCA205); RET melanoma; Lewis lung cancer (LLC)

αPD-1 mAb; αCTLA-4 mAb combined with αPD-1 mAb

Akkermansia muciniphila

Oral supplementation with Akkermansia muciniphila restored the efficacy of ICB in an il-12-dependent manner by increasing the recruitment of CCR9+ CXCR3+ CD4+ T lymphocytes into tumor beds

[17]

CRC (MC38); Lewis lung cancer (LLC1); breast cancer (4T1)

Oxaliplatin; αPD-1 mAb

Bifidobacterium bifidum

Peptidoglycan expressed at high levels in Bifidobacterim bifidum can act as TLR2 receptor to stimulate IFN-γ secretion and improve antitumor therapy by αPD-1 mAb or oxaliplatin

[127]

CRC (MC38); melanoma (BrafV600E Pten−/−)

αCTLA-4 mAb; αPD-1 mAb

A mixture of 11 strains (11-mix)

An 11-strain mix induces the accumulation of IFN-γ+ CD8+ T cells through the effects of CD103+ DCs in the colonic lamina propria in an MHC Ia dependent manner, thereby activating the antitumor immune response

[187]

Colon cancer

αCTLA-4 mAb

Lactobacillus acidophilus

Lysates of Lactobacillus acidophilus reduced the number of Treg and M2 cells in tumor-draining lymph nodes and mesenteric lymph nodes, increased the ratio of memory CD8+ T cells, and promoted an antitumor immune response

[147]

Melanoma (B16.SIY/B16.F10) bladder cancer (MB49)

αPD-1 mAb

Bifidobacterium breve and Bifidobacterium longum mixtures

Bifidobacterium-derived signals enhanced the effector function of tumor-specific CD8+ T cells and promoted an antitumor immune response by modulating DC activation

[190]

Sarcoma (MCA205); RET melanoma; metastatic melanoma; CRC (MC38/CT26)

αCTLA-4 mAb

Bacteroides fragilis

The capsular polysaccharides of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron and Bacteroides fragilis induce the maturation of lamina propria DCs, combined with the Th1 immune response induced by IL-12 secretion, and promotes the antitumor effect of αCTLA-4 mAb

[71]

Lewis lung cancer (LLC)

Cis-platinum

Akkermansia muciniphila

AKK combined with cis-platinum could increase the levels of IFN-γ, IL-6 and TNF-α in peripheral blood and the spleen in mice, inhibit the expression of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ Treg cells, and promote an antitumor immune response

[186]

CRC (CT26)

αPD-1 mAb

Akkermansia muciniphila

The glycerophospholipid generation produced by AKK bacteria affects the expression of IFN-γ and IL-2 in tumor microenvironment, resulting in different therapeutic effects of αPD-1 mAb

[148]

Melanoma (B16-F10); CRC (CT26)

Systemic IL-2 therapy

Akkermansia muciniphila

Amuc (AKK outer membrane protein) activates antitumor immunity through the TLR2 signaling pathway

[131]

CRC (AOM/DSS, MC38/CT26); Lewis lung cancer (LLC); melanoma (B16-F10)

With or without αPD-1 mAb

Clostridiales (Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae): Roseburia intestinalis; Eubacterium hallii; Faecalibacterium prausnitzii; Anaerostipes caccae

Clostridiales promote antitumor immune response in a CD8+ T dependent manner

[191]

CRC (MC38)

αPD-1 mAb

Lactobacillus paracasei sh2020

Colonization of Lactobacillus paracasei sh2020 induces increased CXCL10 expression in tumors, which in turn promotes recruitment of CD8+ T cells and promotes an antitumor immune response

[192]

Melanoma (B16-F10); sarcoma (MCA205); CRC(MC38)

αPD-1 mAb; αCTLA-4 mAb

Enterococcus faecium; Enterococcus faecalis

Enterococcus with unique NlpC/P60 peptidoglycan hydrolase activity can produce peptides that activate NOD2 activity and modulate the efficacy of ICB therapy in vivo, promoting antitumor immunity

[193]

CRC (CT26)

αPD-1 mAb

Lactobacillus rhamnosus

Lactobacillus rhamnosus could effectively restore the gut microbiota depleted by antibiotics, significantly increase the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria, and promote the therapeutic effect of αPD-1 mAb

[194]

CRC (CT26)

Neoantigen cancer vaccine

Bifidobacterium (B. bifidum, B. longum, B. lactis and B. breve)

Bifidobacterium could affect the mechanism of tumor growth, change the composition of the gut microbiota, increase the abundance of antitumor Muribaculaceae, reduce the levels of tumor-promoting Lachnospiraceae, and promote the antitumor effect of a neoantigen cancer vaccine

[195]

CRC (MC38); sarcoma (MCA205); lung cancer (TC-1)

Cyclophosphamide; αPD-1 mAb

Enterococcus hirae

The tape measure protein (TMP) of the probacteriophage found in the genome of Enterococcus hirae phage contains an epitope that can bind MHC-I. After treatment with cyclophosphamide or αPD-1 mAb, mice carrying Enterococcus hirae developed TMP-specific H-2Kb restrictive CD8+ T-cell responses that ultimately promoted antitumor immunotherapy

[75]

Melanoma (B16); CRC (CT26)

αTIM-3 mAb

Enterococcus hirae; Lactobacillus johnsonii

Probiotic administration restored the antitumor activity of αTIM-3 mAb that was impaired by antibiotics usage

[183]

CRC (MC38); lymphoma (EG7)

αCD-47 mAb

Mixture of Bifidobacterium species (B. bifidum, B. longum, B. brevis, B. lactis)

Systemic administration of Bifidobacterium leads to its accumulation in tumors, which can effectively stimulate STING signal transduction, increase the cross-initiation of DCs after αCD-47 mAb treatment, and promote an antitumor immune response

[196]

Breast cancer (4T1); liver cancer (H22)

TGF-β blockade

Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 (EcN)

EcN colonization could effectively promote tumor-specific effector T-cell infiltration and DC activation after TGF-β blockade, resulting in a stronger antitumor effect

[197]

Melanoma (B16-F10)

αPD-1 mAb

Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens ZW18 (ZW18)

ZW18 activated the immunity, promoted tumor CD8+ T-cell infiltration, and significantly increased the abundance of Akkermansia, the Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group and Muribaculum

[198]

CRC (MC38/CT26/HCT116); breast cancer (4T1)

αPD-1 mAb; oxaliplatin

Lactococcus lactis GEN3013

L. lactis GEN3013 augmented cytotoxic immune cell populations, including CD4+ T cells, CD8+ effector T cells, and NK cells, in the tumor microenvironment

[199]